Arthritis and arthrosis are quite common today. Many people confuse these diseases because of the similarity in their manifestation. However, in fact, both ailments are very different from each other. You can understand the difference between diseases only if you study their features.
Types of pathology
It is impossible to define joint disease based on pain alone. Almost any disease of the musculoskeletal system is accompanied by pain.
The following diseases are most common:
- Arthritis,provoked by inflammation of the articulation surface. This inflammation occurs for various reasons. The primary form develops against the background of a number of diseases of a gouty, septic and rheumatic nature.
The secondary form can develop after systemic lupus erythematosus, borreliosis, arthropathy.
- Arthrosis,provoking the destruction of cartilage and part of the bone located below.
Primary usually develops without any reason. It usually manifests itself in older people and affects the surface of large symmetrical bony joints.
The secondary form of the disease occurs after suffering a serious illness. Often, the development of this form is caused by a genetic predisposition.
Often, inflammation of large bone joints (shoulder, knee) is caused by excessive weight, intense physical activity, past trauma and endocrinological diseases.
- Arthropathy is a violation of the integrity of the joints as a result of the transferred complex ailments.
- Tendonitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the tendons.
- Enthesitis - structural changes at the junction of soft tissue with bone.
- Bursitis is a lesion of the bursa.
- Capsulitis - inflammation and violation of the integrity of the joint capsule.
How to distinguish arthrosis of varying severity from arthritis? You need to know that the disease arthritis and arthrosis have a different nature of manifestation, which determines the treatment of arthritis.
Difference in features
How is arthritis different from arthrosis? Signs that indicate the presence of a particular ailment. Signs of arthritis and arthrosis of the knee joint are specific.
What is arthrosis? A chronic ailment that is inherently destructive. The peculiarity of the disease is that it affects the cartilage and is irreversible.
The disease most often affects people of both sexes over the age of 60. That is, arthrosis of the knee joint is considered a disease during which a large-scale destruction of cartilage occurs. Initially, a large joint is affected, for example, the ankle. It is his treatment that should be given special attention.
When rheumatoid arthritis touches the hands or feet, inflammation is found simultaneously in several bone joints. The main difference between arthrosis and arthritis is that the second ailment is accompanied by inflammation of large bone joints - knee, shoulder.
Arthritis has a number of secondary symptoms. In particular, it provokes swelling of the joints, redness around them. In addition, the patient has a fever, blocking motor functions. One of the factors can provoke an ailment: allergies, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders and trauma.
In the case of an inflammatory process, a person's motor activity is impaired. In particular, the range of motion is significantly reduced. This restriction applies to both those movements that are performed independently and those for which a person needs help.
Inflammation affects either one joint or several at the same time. Usually this phenomenon is accompanied by pain without a clear place of their localization, and the articular surface of the ankle joint or foot remains intact.
It is worth remembering that the main danger of this ailment is that changes occur not only in bone tissues, but also in other organs, for example, the digestive, visual and excretory organs. Changes can also affect the dermis.
The disease affects people of any age, however, most often, the disease is diagnosed in women aged 35-50 years.
As for pain, arthritis accompanies it all the time. In the presence of arthrosis, the destruction of bone tissue is usually asymptomatic, without causing any pain, so that the patient does not notice it.
In the first case, the disease manifests itself in some way. It is accompanied by weakness of the body, sometimes psoriasis. In the second case, all inflammatory changes occur without external signs.
Arthritic inflammation is externally manifested by swelling of soft tissues. They are also characterized by paralysis of the joints. Changes of a different nature occur smoothly and practically do not manifest themselves. However, they are characterized by a specific "dry" crunch that appears as a result of joint wear.
What is the difference between arthritis and arthrosis? The second provokes the destruction of cartilage, and rheumatic disease manifests itself as inflammation of bone tissue. It is these signs that are the main ones by which one can distinguish arthritis that struck a person or arthrosis.
Difference in symptoms
How does arthrosis of different origins differ from arthritis? Arthrosis and arthritis differ in the symptoms of the disease. Knowing them is very important, as symptoms and treatment are interrelated.
Arthritis and arthrosis of the knee joint show similar symptoms. However, you can still distinguish between them. Arthritis and arthrosis of the knee joint and others are manifested by severe pain. However, the nature of the pain is different. With arthrosis, the patient feels pain when moving or due to heavy load on the knees. She is aching, the attack lasts a long time.
The first stage is characterized by mild pain, therefore, the disease is often detected only during diagnosis.
At the next stage, the patient feels pain even under light load conditions.
At the third stage of its development, the disease is considered neglected. Pain may appear even when there is no movement at all. After changing the position of the joint to a comfortable one, the pain subsides.
A hand, shoulder or hip disease is characterized by acute pain that does not go away at all. Often an attack of pain begins in the early morning. The symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis are different. You can understand whether arthritis or arthrosis has affected the joints by the presence of a crunch in them. If it is heard, it means that the second ailment struck the bone articulation.
Arthrosis of the knee joint or other large joints can be accompanied by a crunch if the cartilaginous layers have been destroyed and there is a direct contact of the bones.
The disease negatively affects the mobility of one affected joint. For example, knee arthrosis is accompanied by leg pain. Arthritic arthritis or another type of arthritis occurs with a feeling of stiffness throughout the body.
How is arthritis different from arthrosis? In addition, gonarthrosis proceeds without external swelling, but with an external change in the joints.
Arthrosis or arthritis affects the joints: what's the difference? In addition to the main symptoms, arthritis is accompanied by hyperthermia, ocular inflammation, excessive sweating, and weakness.
Differences in diagnostics
It is possible to diagnose arthritis of various origins and arthrosis only by determining the cause of the development of this disease. Treatment begins only after the level of activity of the development of the disease is determined. In addition, during the diagnosis, the attending physician must make a prognosis to prevent a poor outcome.
Treatment of arthrosis at various stages and arthritis begins only after a detailed diagnosis.
The complex of medical tests consists of general clinical laboratory research, X-ray, microscopy and bacteriological research.
Diseases of different origins differ in the results of the analyzes performed.
If arthritis and arthrosis are not treated promptly, it will become impossible to cure it. In addition, systematic prevention of arthritis and arthrosis should be carried out. Do you want to get rid of arthritis and arthrosis through effective treatment? Get a major examination that includes MRI and arthroscopy.
An informative method that allows you to identify the difference in the manifestations of arthritis from arthrosis of the knee joint is X-ray.
Differences in treatment
How are arthritis and arthrosis treated? Symptoms and treatment for ailments are interrelated. Arthritis arthrosis treatment is the same, but there are some differences. From the point of view of medicine, diseases differ, therefore, the treatment of forms of arthrosis and arthritis is certain.
How to treat arthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis? Complex therapy will help to cure any of the ailments. In both cases, patients with arthrosis and arthritis are prescribed treatment, including medication (drugs are prescribed by a doctor). Physiotherapy is prescribed, that is, physical therapy, which is especially important for patients with arthritis or a form of arthrosis of the knee joint, as it helps to speed up the treatment. For arthritis and arthrosis of the joints, treatment includes diets, the menu of which varies.
Those who want to improve their health "without drugs" often carry out treatment with various folk remedies.
Diseases can last long enough and become chronic. Despite the reason for their appearance, they provoke the development of complications. That is why patients must be constantly or for a long time under medical supervision and undergo rehabilitation, the program of which has been developed especially for them.
In order to avoid the development of ailments, special attention should be paid to disease prevention.
- Firstly, it is necessary to treat all diseases of the musculoskeletal system in time and undergo comprehensive rehabilitation after injuries.
- Secondly, you should limit or at least dose physical activity, eat right and monitor your weight.
- Thirdly, you should systematically consult a doctor in order to determine the presence and correct bone deformities in time.
So the difference between the two diseases is significant. It manifests itself in symptoms, signs and causes of ailments. The nature of the course is also specific. In the absence of timely qualified assistance, inflammatory processes in bone tissue and cartilage can provoke complications.
Prevention will help to avoid the development of this or that disease, which should be given special attention.